1. Art and Diseño

OXFORD WILDLIFE
NUMBER 104 NEWS WINTER 2015
NEWS FROM BOUNDARY BROOK NATURE PARK
Nothing startling has been done recently at Boundary
Brook Nature Park partly because of poor weather and
partly because of lack of volunteers. Now that Alan is
living in Newbury it is not easy for him to pop round to
Boundary Brook with 5 minutes notice so things need to
be arranged in advance. For the weekly work party on
Sunday mornings, especially if the weather is too wet or
too cold, you are advised to ring Alan before setting out.
However, if it is suitable a lot can be done. Even if you
are not capable of doing hard physical tasks there is
always a bit of gentle weeding in the raised beds in the
demonstration wildlife garden that needs doing. Please
do come when you can and if you can’t manage Sundays
ring Alan to find out when he will be there on other days
or to ask him what you could do without him being there
– you would need a key to let yourself in and maybe to
bring a suitable tool to do the work. There is a lot of
catching up work to be done.
Keys On the subject of keys, we now keep a register of
who has a key. If you haven’t signed this list and you have
a key do please sign next time you visit. If you have a key
you don’t use the deposit you paid is returnable. So do
please return any unwanted keys to Alan and get a refund.
Badger at Boundary Brook
In late November a group from Larkrise School, who were
visiting the nature park, saw a badger walking across the
Wildflower Meadow. It was unusual to see this nocturnal
animal during the day so maybe it was ill then as sadly, a
fortnight later it was found dead behind the Visitor Centre.
This was the first sighting of a badger here in all the years
we’ve had the site. Roy Wain from the Badger Group came
to see it and found it was not fully grown but he could not
tell us the cause of death. He thought it was from Aston’s
Eyot as there are many badger setts there.
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EVENTS
Past . . .Wolvercote Apple Day
We again had a stall at Wolvercote Apple Day, in
October at the community orchard. It was a fine day with
plentiful fruit and fruit products to buy as well as stalls
with fun things to do. As usual it was a peaceful,
interesting and enjoyable afternoon.
October Open Day In spite of the doubtful weather
we had a good number of visitors and as usual the many
children were interested in pond dipping. As the water
level was still very low it wasn’t safe for children to “fish”
in the pond so we again did mini-pond-dipping with an
aquarium and small nets. However, Chris Lewis managed
to catch some interesting specimens to put in the aquarium
and the children as usual had a fascinating time.
Our walk through Wytham Woods
In November Nigel Fisher, the conservator, led us on a
beautiful walk through Wytham Woods. We were very
pleased to see so many people arriving as it is rather
awkward to get there if you don’t drive and also the
weather forecast was very threatening. We had 28 people,
mostly not OUWG members, so we handed out
membership leaflets and newsletters. Nigel Fisher, the
Conservator, met us and showed us around. He was an
excellent speaker and had all the facts and figures at his
fingertips. It is a unique site with so many research
projects going on it has revealed many crucial
observations ranging from dating the oldest tree there as
2000 years old to revealing the latest evidence of global
warming with temperatures being taken all over the site
and showing that an increase of 1oC has resulted in some
bird’s eggs being laid a fortnight earlier.
He was a most interesting guide and told us a lot about the
history of the site and of the amazing number of research
projects. It is a world-famous woodland with so many
projects going on and Nigel vividly set the scene for us
and pointed out relevant equipment being used to
investigate climatic conditions, monitoring wildlife and
studying the vegetation.
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Future . . . Winter Walk in Christ Church Meadow – Sunday 25 January
In January we would like to have another go at exploring Christ Church Meadow. Last February’s walk, because of the
widespread flooding, the meadow was covered and we had to make do with a brief circuit along the northern edge. So,
flooding permitting, we will start to go down to the river first and along the banks of the Thames and Cherwell to explore
new ground and then return along the northern path. See details on back page.
Talk: Oxford Town Hall - Nigel Fisher on Wytham Woods – Thursday 5 February at 7pm
Nigel Fisher, after his excellent walk he led through Wytham Woods is coming to the Court Room in Oxford Town Hall to
talk to us on "Wytham Woods: trees, man and other mammals - he will include badger, bats, small mammals and deer"
Spring Open Day - Sunday 29 March. 2-5pm at Boundary Brook Nature Park
See details of all these events on the back page.
Oxfordshire Goes Wild: This is an advance notice that this very popular event in the Oxford Museum of Natural
History will take place on Saturday 11 April 2015. There will be full details in the next newsletter but I thought you might
like to put it in your diary in good time. We will have our usual stall with pamphlets, puzzles and books and an aquarium
again with examples of pond life so children can do the mini-pond-dipping which they find such fun.
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Cover photo: Squirrel-proof bird feeder. Photo: Barry Muir
News from Aston’s Eyot
With the kind help of Oxford Urban Wildlife Group,
Friends of Aston’s Eyot have also received a generous
grant from the Patsy Wood Trust. We plan to get a muchneeded vandal-proof tool store and have some forestry
work done. One of the interesting features of Aston’s
Eyot is the orchard – 2.5 acres of apparently self-sown
fruit trees, originating perhaps from where unsold fruit
from the market was dumped when the Eyot was
Oxford’s rubbish dump between the wars. As well as a
source of apples and other fruit, it is wonderful wildlife
habitat, but is now becoming overtopped with sycamore and
ash and suffocated with large numbers of hawthorn and
blackthorn. So although it is not a case of a traditional
orchard restoration, this “orchard” is well worth rescuing.
We’ll probably plant some new fruit trees too.
Ruth Cheke
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Wildlife in North Oxford
Autumn 2014
One night in late October I was awake at 3.30a.m. and heard a
rhythmical small grunting noise under my window. The cat jumped
off my bed to look out of the window, but came back when the noise
ceased. I realised that it was not another cat, nor a rat, nor even a
nocturnal squirrel, and thought it must be one of our local hedgehogs,
still around. It came again the following night.
Before the leaves started to fall (very late this year) from the diseased
horse chestnut trees down the road I saw what I thought must be a
tee-shirt hanging from one of the branches immediately over the
road. It was large and square and I wondered how it had got there.
As the leaves fell it became apparent (not to me, but to an expert) that
it was in fact the drey of our local squirrels.
It is still there (some six weeks later) but looking a bit tattered. There
is another one on the same tree, but not immediately over the road.
We always have squirrels from opposite – the large grounds of the
late Freemasons’ home at 333 Banbury Road – but I have never seen
a squirrel’s drey before; I’m afraid that I rather thought that they
made a nest like a bird and raised their young like that.
Probably one of the young from this drey caused some annoyance,
and some admiration, at its tactics. Between my house and my next
door neighbour’s house is a smallish variegated holly with berries in
clusters at the ends of the branches. She used them to make
Christmas decorations for her family. She and I watched, with some
amazement, as the young squirrel picked the top of the branches off
containing the berries and then carried them to my lawn (and
presumably hers) where it proceeded to pick off each berry and bury
it separately, and carefully, in the lawn. It then ate a couple of the
berries and returned, refreshed, to do the same again. I am rather
impressed that it worked out that it was easier to take a cluster rather
than take one berry at a time – rather like bulk buying at a
supermarket!
Also in the next garden there is a pair of tortoises, both in their fifties
and last year the magpies which were nesting in a garden two houses
away would zoom in and viciously hammer on the shells of these
tortoises with their beaks. This lasted for a period of about 3 weeks
presumably during the magpie’s nesting season.
Delia Twamley
Another Squirrel Story
My neighbour Jill was plagued, as so many of us are, with squirrels climbing the poles of the bird feeders and distorting the
wire mesh so they can get at the seeds inside. Jill saw them pulling out the plastic part which holds the prongs that the birds
sit on to feed. The squirrels then held the feeder between their paws and sucked the seed out of the resulting hole.
At other times a rook, or two rooks working together, would remove the plastic lid off the top of the feeder, often unhooking
the feeder so that it fell to the ground. They then cawed loudly and soon after rooks descended from a rookery in the
surrounding woodland until a dozen or so others joined in.
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Not wishing to afford to feed all the wildlife that could easily approach the feeders, she
invested in a squirrel baffle, a dome-shaped object available in all gardening stores
(shown 3rd from the base of the photo on the front cover). The squirrels soon found
that they could jump higher than the height of the baffle, so it needed continual
repositioning. Later thinking that the blackbirds and robins were being ignored, she
added a feeder complete with an umbrella-like cover, but found that before the birds
found the food, the squirrels simply sat in the feeder and enjoyed life to the full! She
now resorted to feeders from The Nuttery and found that these feeders resolved her bird
feeding problems. Since having these feeders we get the greater spotted woodpecker
and a pair of nuthatches along with several other species we had not seen regularly
before. Fighting off the opposition seems to have been beneficial to more than us.
These can be purchased now from many outlets including Vine House Farm
http://www.vinehousefarm.co.uk
Janet Keene
Photo: Peter Keene
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Oxfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group:
New Reptile and Amphibian Atlas for Oxfordshire
Background
The last and only previous Atlas for Reptiles and
Amphibians (J Coldrey and J M Campbell) was produced
in March 1983 by the Oxfordshire Biological Records
Centre (the predecessor of TVERC in Oxfordshire). Prior
to this document there have been few other accounts, one
being a brief description of the herpetofauna of the
county was included in Volume 1 of the Victoria County
History. There are occasional references to the species in
other published literature. More recently publications
such as parish surveys may contain local information.
Reptiles and amphibians are generally under-recorded.
There are several reasons for this – for example the most
common very widespread species are sometimes seen as
common and thus ignored by recorders – and all species
are secretive often hardly ever seen (e.g. Slowworm) or
only obviously active for a very brief period in the year
(e.g. spawning Common Frogs).
We know some species are still common and widespread
(Common Frog) while others are genuinely rare (Adder)
and/or have limited distributions (Palmate Newt).
Probably all species are not as common as they used to
be, and in this respect reptiles and amphibians are no
different from many other species in the county.
It has always been the intention of the Oxfordshire
Amphibian and Reptile Group (OxARG) to update
information on the species in the county, and 31 years
after the first Atlas it is time for a second - even if we
still don’t know as much as we would like.
OxARG is asking people to send in ALL and ANY
records for our native (and non-native species) seen in
2014 – with most activity expected between March and
October. However, we also want and are very happy to
receive historical older records – from any era. These
records are important as they show where species used to be
– and perhaps where they may still be surviving, even if we
have no current records.
Records do not need to be limited to recognised wildlife
sites such as nature reserves – all sites – for example
gardens and allotments can be good spots for common and
widespread species of both amphibians and reptiles, and
potentially better than more intensively managed areas of
countryside.
For sites where we have records we would welcome updates
to confirm that species are still present – or perhaps no
longer present. It should be emphasised that negative
records i.e. confirmed or very likely absence of a species for
any given site are just as valuable as positive records.
The more detailed the records the more useful they are - for
example knowing the breeding status of a species on a site
is very valuable. Additional supporting data with records,
such as the location of other nearby sites helps in the
analysis and interpretation of the data – and the status of the
species.
We will also be seeking records from other sources and
together with the data we already hold aim to produce a
second set of provisional distribution maps for each of our
species in 2015 – including whenever possible more
detailed analysis of the data to show population trends over
time.
All information is valuable and we will be happy to accept
records in any format – from scraps of paper to computer
datasets.
Please send us ALL and ANY amphibian and reptile records you have, for 2014 or previous years.
Paper records should be sent to: Rod d’Ayala, New Herp Atlas, 70 Newlands Avenue, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 8QB
A simple recording form and recording guidelines can be obtained from Angela Julian: [email protected]
We are also happy to receive records by Email: [email protected]
Alternatively you can put your records onto the online record pool site: www.recordpool.org.uk
Or send them to TVERC: [email protected]
Any questions or comments, please contact us via the OxARG web site. http://www.oxfordshire-arg.org.uk/
We will be happy to confirm species identifications (photographs are useful for this) Many thanks for your help with this
project.
Rod d’Ayala, on behalf of the Oxfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group
4
New Tools for a New Allotment
At this time of year, it’s a good chance to break the
mould in your wildlife gardening and spread beyond the
boundaries of your own garden and get an allotment. At
this time of year, allotments can often become available,
but the waiting lists in the towns and cities are often a lot
longer than those in rural settings. When venturing out
into pastures new and getting your first allotment, it pays
dividends to purchase good tools from the start, as
allotments tools are regularly worked harder than the
ones you use in your garden. It’s always better to select
and buy your tools in person, so you can check their
dimensions and weight are suitable for you to personally
use. Buying online is easy, but can’t get near handling
tools before buying to convince you that you have the
correct tools for you.
Just buy the tools that you need initially, and get others if
and when they become necessary. All you will need is a
good spade, but I would advise getting 2 types, a large
digging spade and a smaller border style spade for those
hard to reach areas. The same goes for forks, get a large
one for digging and also a smaller border fork. Spades
and forks made from good steel is the way to go, but
make sure the handles are big or small enough for your
hands to grip properly.
A trowel and a small hand fork are good for
potting and planting and for those close up weeding jobs
on your hands and knees. A good robust pair of knee
pads would be a worthwhile purchase too, as would a pot
of wire and string plus a reel and line to mark out those
straight lines
of crops you see in many veg. plots. Secateurs and shears
again need careful considerations when being purchased as
they need to fit your hands properly or you will get blisters
very quickly.
Hoes come in 2 main types. Dutch hoes that you push away
from you to weed and a draw hoe that you pull towards you
to weed and you can draw up soil around your potatoes with
it too for example. I have a third type called a swoe which is
a cross between a Dutch hoe and a scythe, which can be
pushed, pulled and used to weed out paving slabs too. A
good steel soil rake and wheelbarrow are other things to
think about, as too is a watering can. Finally, gloves, and I
not going to offer any advice here as the choice is endless
and again you need to be comfortable in them.
Buy the right tools from the start and they will serve you
well, buy poor quality and it will be false economy as they
just will not last and you will very quickly be off to the
local garden centre to purchase yourself some more. See
you all out there then on an allotment somewhere in 2015.
One of the main items of stock I am carrying at present are
these CDs of highlights of my wildlife radio show. My
shows are often very different from many natural history
shows, with music included and other oddments. The CDs
contain a highlights package of the 2013 series, with all the
copyrighted material removed (see below).
Happy Gardening.
Stuart Mabbutt.
Director: Stuart Mabbutt Gardening Ltd
[Wildlife Gardening, Consultancy, Media Specialists]
PS I have compiled a CD with around 4 hours of entertainment in MP3
format. The shows are designed to relax, educate and make people laugh.
Here
is
a
link
to
more
details
regarding
the
show
http://www.stuartmabbuttgardeningltd.com/index.php/testimonials - If you
know anyone with an interest in natural history, and might be interested in
this different style of show, please tell them about it. They are good at
anytime of year - if you have an interest in wildlife, though they make good
Christmas/Birthday presents too. I am letting them go for £15, with £3.05 for
postage. Just contact me to order or if you want more details.
Stuart Mabbutt Gardening Ltd , 38 Craufurd Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4
2RA. Landline 01865 747243.
Mobile 07798 825469. www.stuartmabbuttgardeningltd.com.
!
The Knopper Gall
Have you seen any normal acorns this year?
As you may have seen at our events, we have 6 feely
boxes each with an item of interesting wildlife inside.
Children love putting their hands in to feel what is inside
and guess what it is without peeping. Adults are usually
more cautious but are reassured that there is nothing
unpleasant or dangerous! One box has acorns in it but last
year’s are a bit dry and wrinkly so I wanted to find some
fresh ones in the early autumn. We have 3 oaks over the
road but the only acorns I could find were spiky and
sticky. Puzzled I contacted my son in Buckland who has
many oak trees round him. He told me the same story and
said how painful it was mowing the lawn as the lawn
mower flicked up the fallen hard spiky acorns which hit
his legs. Wherever we went we searched for acorns and
even at Boundary Brook there was only one normal
looking acorn within reach.
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I found out these misshapen acorns were called Knopper
galls and were caused by a parasitic wasp Andricus
quercuscalicis which lays its eggs on the pedunculate oak
(Quercus robur). A heavy infestation can severely reduce
the crop of acorns.
The Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris), was introduced into
Britain in 1735, and is needed to complete the life cycle
of the gall as the second generation lays its eggs in the
catkins of the Turkey Oak. The knopper only arrived in
the UK in the 1960s but since then it has spread
throughout England, Wales and eventually arrived in
The gall from the side, showing the acorn cup
Scotland, seen in North Ayshire in 2007. The wasp lays
eggs in the oak bud which at first is yellowish-green and
then becomes sticky as the gall develops, it breaks out
between the cup and the acorn as a gall grows. The fully
developed gall is about 2 cm across. If only a few grubs are
developing within, then it may appear only as a few folds. If
several grubs are developing it becomes much more
contorted.
The conservator at Wytham said he hadn’t seen any acorns
this year. If any of you see any “proper” acorns please could
you collect a few for our feely boxes and let us have them.
The gall from above Photos Peter Keene
Members Observations
Letter from Grace Warner (aged 8)
Earlier this week, when it was dark, I saw a little splodgy
thing on the path in our garden. I looked closer and
discovered it was a newt! At the same time there was lots
of little frogs hopping about. We looked at the
newt closely in our looker and it had an orange belly with
little spots. We looked it up and think it was a smooth
newt. Do you think we are right?
We frequently go to pond dipping and this is what
inspired us last year to dig a little pond in our own garden
and look what it's done so far! Out of nowhere we have
frogs and newts!
My dad took a photo of the newt.
From Grace Warner
Reply from Rod d’Ayala
Dear Grace,
Thank you for your letter and photo. I am delighted your
pond has been so successful after such a short time. Yes, I
think it is a smooth newt. The photo is not sufficient to be
exactly sure which species it is but it is one of the small
newts and as it is in Oxford most likely to be a Smooth
Newt – I have no confirmed records for this species in
Oxford and the Smooth is ubiquitous. Smooth Newts and
(Common) Frogs are the two species you would expect to
colonise a new pond – even small garden ponds.
6
Do let us have any wildlife observations and we
will put them in the next newsletter.
Though there is no definitive data for Oxford it is likely
that like all urban conurbations there are plenty of ponds
and thus potentially plenty of newts and frogs to colonise
new ones.
Indeed the concentration of ponds in cities like Oxford is
much higher than in rural areas and though many of these
ponds are small or very small the network of ponds is very
important as it supports a large number of populations of
these widespread amphibians.
Rod
PS – I would be very happy to receive a more formal
record i.e. address, date(s) of sighting etc. if they want to
add to our pool of records for Oxford.
Changes in Pondlife this year at Boundary Brook
Chris Lewis, who runs the pond-dipping at our Open Days wondered if Rod d’Ayala could comment on his observations:
‘I noticed that this year there were far more newtlets than in previous years, and perhaps fewer beetles and dragonfly larva. I
don't know if this has been "a good year for newts" in general or if the ecology of our pond is gradually changing, perhaps
because of the new pond, or as the surrounding trees grow. We have extremely large numbers of adult frogs in the park this
year but no spawn in the big pond although some in the small pond in the Demonstration Wildlife Garden. What do you
think?
Rod replied:
‘There is no way I can give a definitive answer to any of your questions as you have probably guessed, but I will try …
Every pond is different and there will be local cycles as well as county wide trends (e.g. overall weather patterns). If
observation of fewer dragonfly and beetle numbers is correct than potentially there were a few less predators for the likes of
newt larvae. However unless the lack of inverts is a longer term trend any increase in number of adult newts (as a result of
less predation as larvae) would not be expected to be seen for two or three years at least. Newt numbers may simply be
increasing for reasons entirely independent of any changes in invertebrate numbers. This year some of my monitoring ponds
had a good year for newts but I think in most cases I can identify (or hazard a good guess as to) the controlling factors
which do not relate to invertebrates (as far as I know). Newts can be top amphibians in ponds, taking over from Frogs and
Toads and potentially (at least in the case of Frogs) causing dramatic declines in their amphibian cousins.
Newts (especially Great Crested Newts) are put off from using ponds by the presence of fish but I have not heard of any
evidence of Frogs being put off from spawning by the presence of newts. Newts are voracious predators of Frog spawn
(and I suspect Toad spawn), and can eat it out in a very short time if they present in good numbers. Perhaps this explains the
(apparent) absence of spawn on one of the ponds? If numbers of frogs are down and the early arrivers went to the small
pond it is possible the later ones were attracted to this pond (by all the noise / activity) rather than the big pond. If the big
pond has become too shady it may have been a bit too cool for them to use it – Frogs at least really do like warm shallow
ponds for spawning as their eggs have more chance where they develop faster.
It is entirely possible that the breeding behaviour of 2014 is a one off almost random event will never be explained however
long the ponds are monitored and however detailed the monitoring is. There are some ponds I have been looking at in detail
for six years, and I am still not sure I fully understand what is happening.
One of the great appeals of natural history is not understanding / being able to explain everything.
Rod
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Funding boost for Oxford city’s unique nature reserve at Iffley Meadows
Oxford’s Iffley Meadows, home to thousands of the
county’s iconic snake’s-head fritillary plants, will benefit
from a grant of £18,874 from SITA Trust. The Iffley
Meadows Biodiversity Improvement Project, managed by
the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), will
help to restore 27 hectares of lowland meadow habitat in
the heart of Oxford and create the right conditions for the
snake’s-head fritillary, which is listed as a vulnerable
species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The SITA Trust funding will enable BBOWT to install
drainage channels to help combat excessive flooding, put
in a track so that the hay can be cut on time, and work
with local graziers to encourage more focused and
effective grazing on different parts of the reserve. New
interpretation signs will explain what BBOWT is doing
and the wildlife that will benefit from this work.
More than 97% of lowland meadows have been lost in the
last century and Oxfordshire remains the last main
stronghold, boasting a disproportionate percentage of what
is left. Iffley Meadows is central to one of Oxford’s green
corridors, providing a rare urban refuge for local wildlife,
which local people and visitors to the city can enjoy.
BBOWT manages Iffley Meadows in partnership with
Oxford City Council, which owns the site. When BBOWT
started managing the site in 1983, there were just 500
snake’s-head fritillary plants. In recent years the numbers
have stabilised at around 40-60,000 plants, with a
significant dip after the summer floods of 2007.
Marek Gordon, CEO and Chairman of SITA Trust,
commented: “SITA Trust’s panel of biodiversity experts
were keen on this project, which clearly focuses on a
habitat and species which is scarce in the south east.
“The project should remedy the current problems of lack
of grazing and ensure annual hay cut is possible, so that
the population of snake’s-head fritillary plants here is
protected and expands across the meadows. We are
delighted to have been able to support this project through
the Landfill Communities Fund.”
SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill
Communities Fund. Funding is available for projects that
enhance communities and enrich nature. This important
source of funding has been available since 1997 and has
provided such worthy projects with more than £1.3
billion.”
Contact for more information and photos of the Iffley
Meadows Biodiversity Improvement Project: Wendy
Tobitt, Media & Campaigns Manager, Berks, Bucks &
Oxon Wildlife Trust 01865 788318 and 07748 641452 or
[email protected]
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Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire
Education Group: Identification courses 2015 www.anhso.org.uk
The Basic Course
Now in its fourteenth year, the basic course is held on six Saturdays from April to September. The aim is to teach the use of
dichotomous keys to gain knowledge of the main families of flowering plants and to provide an understanding of technical
terms and descriptions in the keys in order to identify plants. No previous experience is necessary for this course. Tutors
will be active botanists. Each session will be a mixture of practical work and talks and on either Saturday morning or
afternoon. We will use binocular microscopes, hand lenses and dissecting tools. There will be information on books,
societies, You will need to buy the text book.
You can take an exam at the end of the course on 26th September 2015.
Basic Course
11th April, 2nd May, 6th June, 4th July, 1st August, 5th September, Saturday mornings, 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and Saturday
afternoons, 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm.
April, July and September - John Krebbs Field Station, Wytham, grid reference SP473096, postcode OX2 8QJ
May, June and August - Hill End Field Studies Centre, Farmoor, Eynsham, Near Oxford; grid reference SP465066,
postcode OX2 9NJ
Cost £140 Please email [email protected] or phone 01865 863660 if you would like more information.
Application Form
Please tick the course or courses that you would like to attend. Note that fees are not normally refundable.
Basic course (say whether you prefer morning or afternoon) £140
Use of the Vegetative Key £50, Cyperaceae £50, Asteraceae £50, Assessment Day – Revision Morning £15
Assessment Day – Exam £15
I enclose a cheque for payable to ANHSO Education. Please include:
Name, Address, Postcode, Telephone Number, Email Address, Date. Are you being paid for by your employer? Yes/No
(Please circle one.)
Please send this form to ANHSO Education, 17, Norreys Road, Cumnor, Oxford, OX2 9PT.
NOTE: if your fees are being paid by your employer or another third party, you must complete this form yourself
and send it to us without the fee but giving details of when and from whom we should expect payment.
TRANSPORT: please let us know if you will have difficulty in getting to Hill End or Wytham and we will try to arrange a
lift. There is a bus to Hill End, the S1, but the nearest stop is not very near to Hill End. There is no suitable bus to Wytham.
!
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UPDATE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE TRAP GROUNDS
In mid-2014 we were awarded a grant of £2,000 by Biffa
(a national land-fill company which donates a percentage
of its profits to environmental projects). The grant paid
for work to restore a pond which was silting up, and a
reed bed which was drying out. We hired contractors to
de-silt the pond, dig irrigation channels in the reed bed,
and fell some over-dominant willows. Over the course of
three months, teams from Oxford Conservation
Volunteers worked alongside the contractors, together
with many of our own members. It was hard work, but it
was worth it. Kingfishers and herons are now regular
visitors to the pond again, and we have high hopes that
the channels will provide secluded breeding sites for
water voles. Elsewhere on the Trap Grounds we have
created three smaller pools which attracted Grey and
Yellow Wagtails and many dragonflies during the
summer. We have bought a couple of Austrian scythes
and invested in some training, so now we can mow the
meadows without having to rely on petrol-driven
strimmers. Yellow Rattle plants are spreading across the
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meadows – the legacy of some seeds kindly donated by
Janet Keene a few years ago – and, together with Wild
Marjoram and Wild Parsnip, they attracted butterflies and
bees galore last summer.
Our next all-day work parties are scheduled for Saturday
31st January and Saturday 28th February, when Oxford
Conservation Volunteers will be helping us to clear rubbish
from the woodlands and put the finishing touches to an
artificial nest-bank for kingfishers. We would welcome
extra help. For directions and further details, please visit
www.trap-grounds.org.uk.
Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 24th
March at 7.30 pm in St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road,
north Oxford, OX2 6TN. David Wilding, the Site Manager
of the RSPB reserve on Otmoor, will give an illustrated talk
about the wildlife and management of reed beds. Visitors
will be very welcome.
Catherine Robinson
Secretary, The Friends of the Trap Grounds
01865 511307 / 07879 488785
Oxfordshire Mammal Group –
Winter Lectures
7pm
Oxford University Museum of Natural History, OX1 3PW
Come and join us for some fascinating insights into British mammal ecology.
All welcome! FREE for OxMG members,
Monday 12th January
Domestic cat predation: what is your cat getting up to when it leaves through the cat
flap?
Cats are one of the country's favourite pets. With such high densities of cats in urban areas,
what effect are these predators having on our wildlife and can we do anything to reduce their
impact? Becky Thomas of the University of Reading and Chair of Berkshire Mammal
Group will tell us more.
Monday 9th February
The pine marten and polecat in Britain
Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Lizzie Croose talks about the
ecology of the pine marten and the polecat, two of the
rarest and most elusive mustelids in Britain. Lizzie will
discuss current research by VWT on both species,
including an exciting project to reinforce pine marten
populations in England and Wales.
Monday 9th March Brown hares vs rabbits
Lucy Lush of the Thames Valley Environmental Records
Centre talks about the ecology of and interactions between the brown hare and the
European rabbit. Lucy’s PhD research compared species distribution in lowland pastures
and investigated the influence of cattle and sheep.
Non-members £3 on the door. Booking advised: [email protected] or 01865 775476 ext 211
Events at the Botanic Gardens and the Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay
Bookings should be made through our website - http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/whatson
EVENTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS (For contacts see page 11 unless otherwise listed)
JANUARY
Sunday 4: Durlston Head, Dorset - Field Trip to Durlston Country Park, Dorset meet at 10am in the pay and display car
park within the country park. Parking charges for the day should be about £3. For details of getting there look at website.
provide us with a good range of species. The sea might produce Gannet, Brent Geese, Common Scoter and Fulmar to name
a few. Also Bottle-nosed Dolphin are often there in January. The cliffs should provide Peregrine and Raven. The rocky
ledges should also provide some early returning Guillemot and Razorbill if we are lucky. Skylark should be calling over the
meadows. The woodland should hold all the usual tits and finches but also Goldcrest and Chiffchaff, and if we are very
lucky Firecrest. It should be a good day weather permitting, I hope to see you there. All are welcome. (OOS)
Thursday 8: Fire, Ice and Harlequins: illustrated talk by John Wyatt. Iceland has long been famous for its volcanic activity
and glaciers which is why it is known as the land of ice and fire. It is a relatively small island with only 73 breeding species
including such birds as Great Northern Diver, Harlequin Duck, Barrows Goldeneye and Brünnichs Guillemot. 7.45pm
Sandhills School, Terrett Avenue, Oxford OX3 8FN. Free to local group members. Visitors welcome, £3 on the door.
Contact Tel: 07813782514. E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Monday 12: Domestic cat predation: what is your cat getting up to when it leaves through the cat flap? Becky
Thomas of the University of Reading and Chair of Berkshire Mammal Group will tell us more. All welcome! FREE for
members, non-members £3 on the door. Booking advised: [email protected] or 01865 775476 ext 211 (OxMG)
Wednesday 14: Making an historical atlas of Oxfordshire. Giles Darkes has worked the “Atlas of the Worlds
Languages”, local history projects in Oxfordshire and Germany. He is currently working on an historic town atlas of
Oxford. Preceded by a short AGM. 7.30pm in “The Coach House” Quarry Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 5NU (OTC)
Wednesday 14: Birds on the brink - 40 years of conservation in Mauritius, a talk by Dr Anthony Cheke 7.45pm.
Exeter Hall Kidlington OX5 1AB. In 1973-5 Anthony led a small expedition to study of the endemic birds of the Mascarene
Islands – Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues islands in the southern Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. When first discovered
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by Europeans in the 16th century these islands were uninhabited and peopled by giant tortoises, lizards, fruit-bats and
flightless birds, including the iconic Dodo. multidisciplinary international science project. (OOS)
Sunday 25: Coach Trip to Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island. Location: Coach leaves Headington Hill Hall (Brookes
University) at 7.30am. For details see website http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/oxford/events/ (RSPB)
Thursday 29: Tree planting with Ben Jones, Arboretum Curator. 10am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-4 pm. Tree planting is not
a difficult job, but a very important one to get right if your new tree or shrub is to have the best start in life. In this tree
planting session, we will look at: Site selection and preparation, Guide to planting: handling the plant, planting pits and
refilling the planting pit , Aftercare: watering, weeding, plant protection and formative pruning. Learn the fundamentals of
tree planting and get the chance to plant a tree in the arboretum! Venue – Harcourt Arboretum Tickets cost £30 per session
Booking URL http://www.harcourt-arboretum.ox.ac.uk/whats (BGO)
Saturday 31: Friends of Trap Grounds. All-day work parties to clear rubbish from the woodlands and put the finishing
touches to an artificial nest-bank for kingfishers when Oxford Conservation Volunteers will be helping Extra help would be
welcomed. Directions and further details, please visit www.trap-grounds.org.uk. (FoTG)
FEBRUARY
Thursday 5: Asia's Teardrop - Birdwatching in Sri Lanka. Illustrated Talk by David Cromack. 7.45pm Sandhills School,
Terrett Avenue, Oxford OX3 8FN. Free to local group members. Visitors welcome, £3 on the door. Contact Tel:
07813782514. E-mail: [email protected] (RSPB)
Saturday 7: The Writer in the Garden: A garden writing workshop with gardens writer and editor Jackie Bennett.
10.00am to 4.00pm. Jackie is the award-winning former editor of the Garden Design Journal and the English
Garden magazine. In this workshop Jackie will help you look at the lives of several of our most famous poets, novelists and
playwrights and at their relationship with their gardens. The course is aimed at anyone with an interest in writing and
gardens, but no prior professional writing experience is needed. Venue – Botanic Garden. Tickets cost £60 (includes a
sandwich lunch) Book: http://www.botanicgarden.ox.ac.uk/whatson (BGO)
Monday 9: The pine marten and polecat in Britain. Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Lizzie Croose talks about the ecology of
the pine marten and the polecat, two of the rarest and most elusive mustelids in Britain. Lizzie will discuss current research
by VWT on both species, including an exciting project to reinforce pine marten populations in England and Wales. See Jan
12th for details of venue and booking. (OxMG)
Wednesday 11: The wild world of Corvids - Problem solving and social changes a talk by Gabrielle Davidson. Exeter
Hall, Kidlington. Indoor meetings are free to members; non-members are invited to make a donation. The start time is
7.45pm prompt and we finish at 10.00pm at the latest. (OOS)
Saturday 28: Trap Grounds Oxford Conservation Volunteers will be helping us to clear rubbish from the woodlands and
put the finishing touches to an artificial nest-bank for kingfishers. We would welcome extra help. For directions and further
details, please visit www.trap-grounds.org.uk. (FoTG)
Sunday 22: Outing to Forest of Dean, Glos see website. http://www.oos.org.uk/programme.php (OOS)
Sunday 22: Coach Trip to London Wetland Centre (WWT Barnes). Coach leaves Headington Hill Hall (Brookes
University) at 8.30am. For details see website http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/oxford/events/ (RSPB)
Saturday 28: Oxfordshire Recorders Conference `Recording the invisible’ Oxford University Museum of Natural
History, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW. £10 for students/volunteer recorders, £15 for professionals (lunch not included).
Tea/coffee and cake provided. What do you do when you can’t see what you are monitoring? This conference explores ways
to record the presence or absence of the invisible. Annual updating and networking event for species recording and nature
conservation in Oxfordshire. The day includes guest speakers, workshops and an open floor session for updates from
individuals, recording groups and organisations on notable sightings, events, courses, new projects.
Booking required, please contact Hannah Boylan, 01865 815479 or [email protected] for a booking form.
MARCH
Wednesday 4 “The New Sylva” Gabriel Hemery (CEO of the Sylva Foundation), will talk about what inspired him to
rewrite Evelyn’s landmark book of 1664 on trees. Gabriel will bring along some copies for sale & signing, at a reduced
price. 7.30pm in “The Coach House” Quarry Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 5NU (OTC)
Monday 9: Brown hares vs rabbits. Lucy Lush of the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre talks about the
ecology of and interactions between the brown hare and the European rabbit. Lucy’s PhD research compared species
distribution in lowland pastures and investigated the influence of cattle and sheep.
Wednesday 11: The plight of butterflies - hopes and fears a talk by Dr Jim Asher. Exeter Hall, Kidlington. Indoor
meetings are free to members; non-members are invited to make a donation. The start time is 7.45pm prompt and we finish
at 10.00pm at the latest. (OOS)
Sunday 22: An outing to Garsington, Oxon. See website for details: http://www.oos.org.uk (OOS)
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Thursday 26: A beginner’s guide to orchids – or Growing Orchids as house plants 10.30am to 12.00pm This session
will include care of popular orchids at home, a repotting demonstration and composts to use. Venue – Botanic Garden.
Tickets £30. Coffee provided from 10.00am. To book !""#$%%&&&'()"*+,-./*012+')3'*-'45%&!*"6)+ (BGO)
Sunday 29: Car Trip to Pitsford Reservoir, Northamptonshire. Shared cars leave Headington Hill Hall (Brookes
University) at 9am. For details see website http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/oxford/events/ (RSPB)
NEXT NEWSLETTER
Please send your copy for the next newsletter (for April, May and June) as soon as possible to: Janet Keene, 7 Norwood
Avenue, Southmoor, Abingdon, OX13 5AD or email? : [email protected]. The final deadline is by the end of February.
!"#$!"#$
OXFORD URBAN WILDLIFE GROUP
Website: www.ouwg.org.uk
Don’t forget that we are here to help. Please contact any member of the committee for help or advice on wildlife matters and
we will attempt to help or to put you in touch with someone who can answer
Alan Hart (Warden) of Nature Park 07979 608 013 [email protected]
Janet Keene (Newsletter) Oxford 820522
CONTACTS FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS
Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire (ANHSO):
Sally Abbey 01993 779568
Botanic Garden: BGO
Oxford 286690
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
01296 330033
Butterfly Conservation:
David Redhead Oxford 772520
Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
Sietske Boeles Oxford 728153
City's Countryside Sites or Biodiversity in Parks Oxford 252240
email: [email protected]
Forest of Oxford:
John Thompson Oxford 513528
Friends of Aston’s Eyot (FAE) Ruth Ashcroft 01865 248344
Friends of CS Lewis Reserve (FoCSL)
Oxford 775476
Friends of Oxpens Meadow (FOM) Margaret Maden
Oxford 721372
Friends of the Earth (Oxford): Jackie Walkden 07981 572629
Friends of the Trap Grounds (FoTG)
Catherine Robinson Oxford 511307
Friends of Warneford Meadow (FoWM)
Sietske Boeles
Oxford728153
Local Wildlife Trust (BBOWT):
Oxford 775476
New Marston Wildlife Group Curt Lamberth
07763 191072
Oxford Conservation Volunteers www.ocv.org.uk (OCV):
Jo 07887 928115
Oxford Ornithological Soc. (OOS): Barry Hudson 01993 852028
Oxford Tree Club (OTC):
Ian Gourlay Oxford 245864
Oxfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group Rod d’Ayala
01235 511 861
Oxfordshire Badger Group:
Julia Hammett Oxford 864107
Oxfordshire Bat Group:
David Endacott 01235 764832
Oxfordshire Mammal Group (OxMG) Judith Hartley
Oxford 775476 ext. 211
Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum now Wild Oxfordshire
Rare Plants Group (RPG): Sue Helm 07774205972
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB):
Peter Wilkinson Oxford 452579
Science Oxford Live (SOL):
Oxford 810000
Shotover Wildlife (SW):
Chair: Ivan Wright Oxford 874423
SS Mary & John Churchyard Group, Ruth Conway
Oxford 723085
Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC)
Camilla Burrow Oxford 815418
Wild Oxfordshire (Formerly ONCF):
Oxford 407034
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD – Department for Continuing Education
Many of the Day and Weekend classes get booked up in advance. Here are some of the classes that are advertised so do
look on the website. Some are online courses Look in good time to see what is coming up that might interest you.
DAY COURSES
Sat 31 Jan 2015 Ethno-ornithology: Birds, Peoples, Culture and Society Rewley House 1 Wellington Square
Oxford OX1 2JA Fee from £62.00
WEEKLY CLASSES
Evolution: Life explained through natural selection Tue 20 Jan to Tue 24 Mar 2015 at Ewert House 7-9pm. 10 meetings.
Fees from £185.
Animal Behaviour Thu 16 Apr to Thu 18 Jun 2015 at Rewley House 7-9pm. 10 meetings. Fees from £185.
ONLINE COURSES: Field Techniques for Surveying Birds, Field Techniques for Surveying Fish & Amphibians, Field
Techniques for Surveying Invertebrates, Field Techniques for Surveying Mammals & Reptiles, Field Techniques for Surveying
Vegetation, Data Analysis in Ecology: Statistics for Ecologists and Field Biologists, Ecological survey techniques.
The above are part-time over five weeks, tutor-led training course which can be taken from anywhere in the world. They are taught
entirely online fees from £395. Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques is a part time (mostly online) one year course.
There are many excellent courses coming up these are just a few of the details.
Tel 01865 - 270380 or by email: [email protected] Website: http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk www.conted.ox.ac.uk
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OUWG EVENTS
www.ouwg.org.uk
JANUARY
Sunday 25: Winter Walk through Christ Church Meadow. We plan to repeat the walk planned for
last winter which had to be curtailed because of the severe flooding in the meadow. We intend to
stroll through the Meadow, hoping to see some wildlife. Distance, route and timing will depend
on the weather. Meet outside Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s at 2pm. We intend to make our way
to the Thames at the beginning to see the wildlife on the river and then return along the bank of the
Cherwell. We will follow the wall and return past Christ Church College to St Aldate’s. If
flooding prevents us doing that we will make a circular walk around the city centre to see wildlife
which makes its home on the buildings, the pavements and even below gratings.
FEBRUARY
Thursday 5: Nigel Fisher the Curator of Wytham Woods will give a talk: "Wytham Woods: trees, man
and other mammals - he will include badger, bats, small mammals and deer", Nigel Fisher after his
excellent walk which he led through Wytham Woods is coming to the Court Room in Oxford
Town Hall to talk to us at 7pm. Join us in the Court Room just before 7pm. Open to all, no charge
but an optional donation at the end.
MARCH
Sunday 29: Boundary Brook Nature Park. 2-5pm.
We plan to have some Spring-themed events for children as well as the usual pond-dipping,
guided walks, stalls with native wild plants, cottage garden plants and seeds, as well as booklets
about wildlife for sale. Wheelchair access, admission free. Children under 14 to be accompanied
by an adult.
WORK PARTIES at Boundary Brook Nature Park: Sundays between 10am and 1pm.
Refreshments provided. Ring 07901 120 308 on day to ensure park will be open.
BOUNDARY BROOK NATURE PARK. Come and help us to manage the Nature Park. You can
choose your task from a variety of jobs. A warm welcome guaranteed. You need not come for the
whole time. Please ring on the day of the work party to ensure it has not been cancelled through
bad weather etc.
Contact: Alan Hart 07901 120 308 or 07979 608 013.
There is often someone working at Boundary Brook
so, if you want to come at other times, find out who
will be there and when by ringing Alan Hart but
check before setting out to make sure it is still on.
Bus route: Stagecoach Route 3.
OXFORD URBAN WILDLIFE GROUP If you
wish to contact OUWG or would like to become a
member write to the editor: Janet Keene, 7 Norwood
Ave, Southmoor, Abingdon OX13 5AD or Tel:
Oxford 820522. E-mail: [email protected]
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Registered charity no 1101126. Printed on paper from sustainable forests